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The Fall of 'New Money' Country Clubs

Filed under: Wealth

golf course
It has certainly happened before and as much as it stinks to draw another comparison to the Great Depression it seems country clubs made of 'new money' may follow the same path as one-third of the clubs did back then. Across the U.S. clubs are shutting their gates and greens one after another from the Gold Creek Golf Club in Dawsonville, Georgia to Golf Club of California in San Diego. Even Sea Island in coastal Georgia, which once ranked near the top in golf courses of the nation, recently laid off 400 employees.

As quickly as individuals came into fresh cash it disappeared on Wall Street and the like. $85,000 entrance fees once meant to keep the unworthy out have been reduced to free! I guess the 'old' clubs will continue to hang on -- that's how they earned the term 'old'.

Sea Island In Financial Trouble

Filed under: Journeys, Real Estate Developments


The Sea Island resort in Georgia is the latest luxury business to be hit by hard times. Back in August, Sea Island laid off around 500 workers, nearly a quarter of the staff. Now the resort is facing bigger financial trouble. The resort, which hosted the G8 Summit and has been visited by presidents, celebrities and dignitaries of all sorts, has been owned for six decades by the family of William "Bill" Jones III, its current chairman and CEO. The economic downturn has meant empty hotel rooms for the luxury enclave which has been struggling with debt since a massive redevelopment and expansion of the resort that cost more than $400 million. More of the expensive homes on the island are also up for sale than usual.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle
the family is said to be exploring a possible sale of equity in the company to get their hands on some ready cash. They may also be considering selling other real estate but it's not a great time to be doing that either. The resort is doing everything it can to keep the Jones family in charge but the ambitious real estate development on the island was planned for a different time and the resulting jeavy debt could now mean some big changes are ahead.

Frederica, A New Community in Georgia

Filed under: Estates


The Sea Island area of Georgia is home to a variety of luxury planned communities. One of the newest is Frederica, a golf complex spread out over 3,000 acres. The community will contain 400 homes and is a maze of waterways, wooded lands and bass lakes. The members-only golf course is designed by Tom Fazio and Sir Michael Bonallack. There is a clubhouse and a boathouse with ELCO boats. Other amenities include a guesthouse for out-of-town guests, a pool and poolhouse, tennis courts, stables and a cultural arts center. Buying at Frederica is not cheap, a two-acre lot is listed at $1,450,000.


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